Boy Falls into African Painted Dog Exhibit at Piitsburgh Zoo Dies

[Sigh Sister]

http://www.wpxi.com/news/news/local/crews-probe-report-childs-death-pittsburgh-zoo/nSxFp/


"A young boy visiting the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium with his mother and friends was killed Sunday when he fell about 14 feet off a deck into an exhibit that's home to a pack of African painted dogs, who pounced on the boy and mauled him, zoo officials said."

So tragic...

 

[eileenhawkeye]

I'm seeing a few comments on news articles saying the mother was holding the child up for a better view.

 

[Sigh Sister]

I read that too.

 

[oh_gal]

According to this CNN article, the boy was "about 3":
http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/04/zoo-animals-kill-small-child/?hpt=hp_t3

 

[eileenhawkeye]

This is what I think happened:

The dogs are in an open-air enclosed area. The mother was holding her son so he was standing on the top of the fence. She dropped him, and he fell in.

 

[Sigh Sister]

This is what I think happened:

The dogs are in an open-air enclosed area. The mother was holding her son so he was standing on the top of the fence. She dropped him, and he fell in.

On FB, someone said he was on the railing, fell and bounced off protective netting into the exhibit. I do think his mom was probably holding him. I've seen parents do that many times.

 

[eileenhawkeye]

Zoo President and Chief Executive Officer Barbara Baker said the child, who was 2 years old, was on an outing with his mother when he fell over a wooden railing and off of a mesh barrier where the painted dogs were on display. A zoo spokeswoman said the wooden railing is 4 feet in height and the lower mesh barrier is 14 feet above the open exhibit space.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories...-pittsburgh-zoo-exhibit-660606/#ixzz2BITFSw88

 

[JeannaT]

So sad. I know that really active, adventuresome 2 year olds can struggle to get free when you're holding them, even in a dangerous position. He could have suddenly pulled and lurched, and the equillibrium would have been thrown off for his mom.

How awful.

 

[nervous_nellie]

http://www.wpxi.com/news/news/local/crews-probe-report-childs-death-pittsburgh-zoo/nSxFp/


"A young boy visiting the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium with his mother and friends was killed Sunday when he fell about 14 feet off a deck into an exhibit that's home to a pack of African painted dogs, who pounced on the boy and mauled him, zoo officials said."

So tragic...

that is tragic...i didnt even know what an african painted dog was!

eta: they look like hyenas....

 

[pghbrandi]

This is so sad. Poor little boy. We were talking about taking the kids there today. I am so glad we didn't.

 

[TexasLori]

God bless that poor mother. She will likely never forgive herself. So so tragic.

 

[gogrannypop]

Just last week I was telling my da..Dear Hubby that I wanted an African Painted Dog.

So sorry for the child and his loved ones. Such a tragedy.

 

[katydid23]

So awful. I hope the mom finds the will to live. If I had dropped my baby and then had to see him killed like that, I would probably want to die. I hope she has some good support system. My heart goes out to her. :rose: :heartbeat:

 

[eileenhawkeye]

So where's the neglect charge?

 

[katydid23]

I'd need to know more before I could say it was neglect. Plenty of parents hold their kids up to see over a crowd. I'd want to see if she actually held him up and over the fence or not first.

 

[Jan]

People need to read and follow the caution signs on exhibits. The signs tell you not to climb on the rail or stand on it, and for good reason. Plus the net is put inside the exhibit for the benefit of those who don't follow the signs. But in this case, it appears that the net did not hold the child when he fell. If only the mother didn't hold him up on the rail for a better view, both he and the dog would be alive now. I know a lot of people hold their kids up so they can see but people need to use reasonable precautions to keep their children out of harm's way. Now a little boy is dead and the mother will probably never forgive herself. And there is one less dog of an endangered species. The dogs are wild animals put in the zoo by humans. It wasn't their fault.

 

[redheadedgal]

wondering how long it will be before a lawsuit is brought forth against the zoo for not taking more precautions*...


*not that i think more could've been done; it's very clear where the blame lies

 

[leanaí]

wondering how long it will be before a lawsuit is brought forth against the zoo for not taking more precautions*...


*not that i think more could've been done; it's very clear where the blame lies

Yeah let's just make the Mom feel even worse then she probably already does. Allot of people hold their kids up to get a better view of things, her Dad probably did it to her when she was a kid as mine did to me and my siblings(I do not do this with my kids however). I am not saying this is right but it is a fact that people do this and will continue to do it so places really should think about adding more safety measures so things like this won't happen. Like adding bars, a larger net, etc.

The thing I am mad about is that someone didn't jump in right away to save the child. I would have jumped in a heart beat and covered him with my body if I was unable to fend them off, especially if he was my child.

 

[redheadedgal]

this was not the fault of the zoo. i think it's horrendously unfair to suggest they are responsible for not doing more... there is a difference b/w holding a child up vs. putting them in an unsafe precarious position (aka on the railing). btw, when you pay your entrance admission you are agreeing to obey the rules all of which are posted over and over again throughout the park including the signs that say stay off the railing... is there really a need for a sign that says if you hold up your child to see better make sure to do so away from the railing?

yes, why didn't the mother jump in... ?

 

[leanaí]

Signs will not help. People don't listen to signs, that's why more safety features should be put into place. I am not saying this is the Zoo's fault, I am saying places need to take into consideration that people are stupid and do not listen to signs.

Another thing is that they should have shot all those dogs to try and get to him. I don't care that they are endangered animals, a child's life is more important then an animals life.

I hope you are not suggesting that the Mother did this on purpose? Allot of people were standing there watching what was happening, probably some were even recording it on their phones. If only a group of them jumped in to at least try and save him then maybe he would of had a chance. Not many people are willing to do that though, even for their own child.